Pranavayu, aka: Prāṇavāyu, Prana-vayu; 5 Definition(s)

Introduction

Pranavayu means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, Marathi. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.

In Hinduism

Ayurveda (science of life)

Prāṇavāyu (प्राणवायु):—A Sanskrit technical term referring to “respiration”, it is one of the five upadoṣa (sub functions) of Vāta or Vāyu (one of the three doṣas). A doṣa is a basic component of life. The compound Prāṇavāyu is composed of the words Prāṇa (‘life’) and Vāyu (‘breath’). It is also known as Prāṇavāta. These terms are used throughout Āyurvedic literature such as the Caraka-saṃhitā and the Suśruta-saṃhitā. Āyurveda is India’s classical science of medicine.

The Vāyu, that courses in (governs) the cavity of the mouth, is called the Prāna, its function being to force down the food into the cavity of the stomach, and to assist the different vitalising principles of the body (such as the internal heat or fire etc.) in discharging their functions in life, and to contribute to the general sustenance of the body. A deranged condition of this particular kind of Vāyu (Prāna) is usually followed by hiccough, dyspnœa and other kindred distempers.

The Prāna Vāyu is identical with the energy of the nerve centre in the medulla ;

In the Mahābhārata the Prāna-vāyu is described as a force, akin to electricity. It is somewhat like a flash of lightning. This fact at once shows the errors of confounding Prāna-vāyu with an effete material—with gases generated during the processes of digestion.

Sushruta describes it as a force, which sets the whole organism into motion. Self-evolved, it acts as the principal factor that determines the genesis, continuance and disintegration of the living body. It is the primary cause—an all-in-all that governs our organic as well as our cognitive faculties. Its special feature is that the vibration, that is produced in it, instead of travelling like light in a transverse direction, takes a course as the controller of the correlative functions of the system. It maintains an equilibrium between the Pittam and Shleshmā which are said to be inert, But for this adjustment the living body would stand in imminent danger of being consumed like fuel by its internal heat or fire.

Āyurveda (आयुर्वेद, ayurveda) is a branch of Indian science dealing with medicine, herbalism, taxology, anatomy, surgery, alchemy and related topics. Traditional practice of Āyurveda in ancient India dates back to at least the first millenium BC. Literature is commonly written in Sanskrit using various poetic metres.

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Languages of India and abroad

Marathi-English dictionary

prāṇavāyu (प्राणवायु).—m (S) The breath of life,--the first and chief of the five vital airs. See under prāṇa.

(Source): DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionarycontext information

Marathi is an Indo-European language having over 70 million native speakers people in (predominantly) Maharashtra India. Marathi, like many other Indo-Aryan languages, evolved from early forms of Prakrit, which itself is a subset of Sanskrit, one of the most ancient languages of the world.

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